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On 1 October, for the second time in several weeks, MNZ was asked to provide support to an international oil spill event.
Montara well head platform
[Photo credit: AMSA]
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) asked for MPRS assistance in the response to a spill resulting from a blowout at the Montara well head platform (West Atlas rig) in the Timor Sea, approximately 300 nautical miles from Darwin.
MPRS planning and training manager Rob Service (attending in a planning function) and MNZ safety auditor Christiaan Moss (assisting with logistics) departed New Zealand shores for 34 degree heat and an incident command centre located in Darwin.
The oil spill resulted from a blowout at the well head, positioned on the seabed, in late August.
Tens of cubic metres of gas and condensate per day have been released and AMSA undertook a massive dispersant operation with Oil Spill Response (OSR – formally East Asia Response Limited) to disperse the crude oil at sea and keep the oil from reaching the Australian coastline.
A Hercules spraying dispersant over the spill
[Photo credit: AMSA]
That operation has now reached the point where an alternate rig has been positioned alongside the West Atlas, which will drill a relief well to reduce and then eliminate the free flow of oil and gas from the Montara well head.
This is undertaken by injecting heavy mud into the well bore to stop the leak. A team can then go on-board the West Atlas rig and further secure the leak by plugging the well bore.
This operation is hoped to be completed this week, which then changes the spill clean-up operation to an “on water” recovery operation. Latest reports describe oil as thick as 150mm floating in 10 m x 10 m lines around 70–80 nautical miles from the rig.
Skimming oil contained near the Montara well head
[Photo credit: AMSA]
This oil is emulsified, and special ways of recovering the oil to support vessels will be investigated. The sea state has been around 1 m and the wind generally less than 3 knots in the general vicinity.
Rob, who also assisted with the Queensland oil spill clean-up earlier this year, says he hopes to gain some valuable insights from the experience.
“This request is ideal for adding more experience and knowledge of offshore oil spills into the New Zealand response system," Rob says.
Christiaan left his role as deputy harbourmaster at Auckland Regional Council to join MNZ in July.
“Having not been in MNZ for very long, it’s great to be part of a team involved with a wide ranging level of maritime involvement," Christiaan says.